Of the Land

This anti-Monsanto, pro-organic farming documentary makes some powerful points regarding Monsanto's genetically-modified seeds, which don't exist in nature on a DNA level, and also often require treatment with the company's pesticides, such as Roundup. Filmmaker Bryan Law's Of the Land maintains that government approval of GMO foods has been almost non-existent, with new varieties simply being pushed through by Big Agriculture lobbyists, while independent research into the potential harmful effects of those products on human hormones is ignored. Parallels are drawn to the meat industry's past use of controversial preservatives—a practice that was allowed decades before the industry and the Food and Drug Administration accepted research that showed clear harm. But there is a secondary issue that a number of non-GMO farmers contend with: Monsanto can't contain its seeds within carefully delineated crop areas, so they find their way on to land owned by organic farmers, who are not only stuck with the unwelcome newcomers but also subject to lawsuits by Monsanto for patent infringement. The film ultimately grows more optimistic, noting that consumers are becoming increasingly disenchanted with GMO food, while local farmers markets—in which communities can essentially buy from their neighbors—are on the rise. A fine companion documentary to similarly-themed films such as Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds (VL-3/15) and GMO OMG (VL-9/14), this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)